Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Decide who the messenger will be - then shoot him. Predictive Context Devices

As ad practitioners we know the basic essentials still hold true; create a solid message, hone in on the target, and flip the emotional trigger. The problem however is deciding where and how to get the message out.

Social media and the web have thrown a myriad of monkey wrenches into the mix. Will a standard television commercial suffice any longer? Should I go completely social media and forgo television altogether? Should I go a pinch of radio with a twit of twitter and a full cup of Facebook.

Well just to ad another confusing offramp into the media freeway, introducing Predictive Context Devices. They are mobile devices that "know way too much about me". They sync into my digital calendar and remind me I have a lunch appointment. They tap back into my recent restaurant stops and make suggestions based on my tastes. They follow my life patterns and make suggestions based on my past, to help me generate my future.

I have a hard enough time deciding what I want for breakfast without a device adding confusion and suggestions to the mix.

Or perhaps I should just have an on week off week. On weeks I decide. Off weeks "it" decides. Kind of like a relationship minus the small talk.

For more on these devices, click here and read Oren Franks article in Adage.